Closure-cap device for receptacles



Dec. 22, 1953 F. WESTCOTT CLOSURE-CAP DEVICE FOR RECEPTACLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 26, 1948 gm? ylfzfdf Z I, Ill. 2 1

Dec. 22, 1953 F. WESTCOTT' CLOSURE-CAP DEVICE FOR RECEPTACLES Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 26, 1948 Patented Dec. 22, 1953 "CLOSURE-CAP DEVICE FOR RECEPTACLES Frank Westcott, Harpenden, England, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich.,.a corporation of Delaware Application-February 26, 1948, serial No. 11,222

Claims priority, application Great Britain 1 April 11, 1947 9 Claims. (01. 220-44) 1 i This invention relates to closure-cap, stopper and like devices for receptacles and containers. The invention is particularly concerned with such devices as are located outside the neck or spout of the receptacle or container, which may for example be a gasoline tank on an automobile. Such receptacles and containers are often covered or enclosed by a casing, shroud or similar covering purely for aesthetic purposes: for example a gasoline tank is usually contained within the sheet-metal body panel of the automobile. It is accordingly desirable, and is the main object of this present invention, to have the closurecap easily releasable and yet to have no aesthetically objectionable appearance when the cap is in the closed position. 7

From-one aspect, the device comprises a plate pivoted inside the external covering and adapted to fill the aperture therein, the plate carrying a spring-pressed closure disc for the neck of the receptacle and being detachably latched thereto in the closed'position.

From another aspect, the device comprises a plate whose pivot axis is inside the external covering and which fills the aperture therein and carries a closure disc and a latch having a common spring such that in the latched positionthe spring holds the disc against the neck of the receptacle and external pressure on the spring releases the latch.

The latch itself is preferably efiectively pivoted on the inner side of the plate and has an external surface, preferably flush with the external surface of the plate andtherefore'with the external covering, for effecting release. f The pivotation of'the device is preferably effected by and against spring means, such that the closure-cap is moved by said means tothe open position after release of the closure latch. One way of carrying the invention into effect is hereinafter described as applied, by way of Figure 3 is a view of the closure-cap assembly and its mounting; and

Figure 4 is a section of part of they closurecap assembly.

In the automobile of which a part is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1, the filler spout is ar- 2 ranged to terminate underneath the nearside rear wing or mudguard and the closure-cap device is constructed and arranged so that it has no excrescences and that its external contour con-'- forms to that of the wing or mudguard. It is to .be understood that the spout could be arranged to terminate at other locations: the particular location and shape of the external covering is immaterial to the invention.

In applying the invention to the gasoline tank on an automobile, as shown in Fig. 1, the neck or spout In of the tank (not shown) by which it is filled terminates just inside an aperture II on a rear wing l2 of the automobile. The device is mounted on the neck or spout III by means of a bracket [3 which encircles the spout and which has upstanding arms l4 between which it is pivoted above the aperture. A plate l5 adapted to fill the aperture and conforming to the contour of the body panel in that region is carried by'an arm l6 which has an inwardly hooked portion I1 and which is pivoted between the bracket arms M, as above indicated, so that in the open position, as shown in dotted lines, the plate can swing sufficiently clear before the hookedportion I! of the arm is liable to engage the upper edge of the aperture. To effect this opening, a coil spring I8 of the rat-trap type is wrapped around the pivot pin I9 and engages the arm l6 by its ends passing through apertures therein (Fi 2) and by its middle hooked portion 20 abutting the body panel as shown in Fig. 2.

The pivoted arm [6 has a pair of spaced inwardly directed lugs 2| bent over at their inner ends, from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereby lugs 2| partially enclose spring '23 and the bent over lug portions peripherally engage the underside of a closure disc 22 in order to retain said closure disc 22 against the pressure of a coil spring 23 positioned between the disc 22 and a latch member 24. Thus the bent over portions of lugs 2| through disc 22 maintain spring 23 in a state of compression when the cover is opened as shown in Fig. 2. The latch member has a hook '25 which can engage a lug 26 on the bracket 13 fixedrelative to the neck or spout In, and has a projecting button-like surface externally of the plate I5 and pivoted arm I B which are apertured (Figs. 2 and 4) centrally for that purpose. The arrangement is such that inward pressure on that button-like surface compresses the coil spring 23 and disengages the hook 25 vfrom the lug 26. This is efiected by pivoting the latch member 24 on the pivoted arm lfi. The

pivoting is effected by making me latch member 24 of hook shape, as shown in Fig. 2, and locating it in an aperture in a lug 21 on the arm I6. Thus the latch member 24 can pivot in the lug 21 under pressure applied to the button of the latch member.

In the normal, closed position, shown in full lines of Fig. 2, the closure disc 22 is pressed firmly against the neck or spout ii! of the tank; the coil spring 23 betweenthe. disc 22 and the latch 24 is compressed, the latch hook 25 en-- gages the fixed lug 26, andthespring l8 acting on the arm I6 is stressed. Thee'iiternal surfaces of the latch 24 and of the plate 15 which fill the aperture conform to the general contour. of the wing or body panel.

To release the closure-cap, the button portion" of the latch 24 projecting through the aperture in the plate I? is pressed inwardly (leftwardly;

the neck or spout I'D. The closing action can be effected by a stroking action of the palm of the hand.

The shape of the-plate, arm and closure disc can be varied to suit requirements, and the forms of the springs can'be coil, leaf, torsion and made of rubber as desired.- The forms of the pivots'canalso be changed to suit practical requirements.-- The main pivot of the device can be locatedas desired, below, above or at-the side of" the aperture; Such and similar modifications-are to be deemed within the scope of the invention.

1. A closure-cap devicefor a receptacle having an outer casing with an aperture and a filler spout terminating adjacent said casing aperture but Within said-casing, comprising a lever member pivoted inside said casing, spring means tending to move the levenmember' to the open position, a plate carried by said lever member and adapted to fill said aperture in the closed position, and to be flush with-said casing, said plate having an opening formed therein, a closure-disc carried by said lever member adapted to close the end of said filler spout, a latch carried by said lever member cooperating fulcrum means on said latch and lever, and lock means onsaid latch and filler spout to lock said lever member to said filler spout in the closed position, and a common spring means for holding said closuredisc in the closed position and said latch member in said locked position, said latch member having an external portion extending throughthe opening in said plate, said portion being flush with said casing and being adapted when-pressed to fulcrum on the lever member to release the latch member from the filler spout.

2. A closure-cap device for a receptacle having an outer curved casing with a filler aperture and'a filler spout terminating adjacent but short .of said'aperture, comprising a lever member pivoted inside said casing adjacent the edge of said which in the closed position lies flush with the surface of said casing, a closure disc carried by said lever member and adapted to close the end of said filler spout when the device is in the closed position, a latch memberpivoted. on said lever member cooperating; fulcrum means on said latch and lever, and" lock means on said latch and filler spout to lock the same to the filler spout in the closed position, spring means foriholding;said-iclosure-disc and said latch member in the closed and locked position respectively, a portion of" said" latch member protruding throughtheapertiire in said lever member but lying substantially flush with the outer surface thereof andadapted when pressed inwardly from theoutsideto pivot on said lever to release said latch member from looking engagement with the filler spout.

3'. A closure-cap device according to claim 2 having stop members 'on said lever member to limit movement ofsaid closure-disc underv stress from said springv means when the device is in the open position.

lz Aeclosure-capr-device for a receptacle having anouter'curvedcasingvwith a filler aperture and a filler spout terminating adjacent but-short of said aperture, comprising a lever member pivoted inside said casing adjacent the edge of saidaperture and having an apertured outer surface which in-theclosedposition lies flush with the surface ofsaid casing, a closure disc carried by said lever member and adapted to close the end of said filler spout whenthe device is in the closed position, a latchmember pivoted on said lever member cooperating fulcrum means on said latch and lever, andlockl means on said latch and filler spout to lock the same to the filler spout in the closed positiomcommon spring means between and for holdingsaid closure-disc and saidlatch member in the. closed and locked positionrespiectively, a portion of said latch member protruding through the aperturein said lever member but lying substantially flush with the outer surface thereof and" adapted when pressed inwardlyfrom the outside to co'mpress said common spring means and'to pivotflon said lever to release said lat'cnmember from lockingen'gagement'withthe'filler spout;

5. A closure-cap device according to claim 4 in which said protruding ortion of said latch member is outwardly dished and forms a locating seat" for one end of said common spring Whichin" the closed position lies flush with the surface of said casing, spring means inside" said casing tending tomov'e said" lever member to the open position; a'clo'sureidisc carried by said lever member and-adapted'to'close the end of said filler spout when the device isin the. closed position,- a latch member pivoted on said. lever member 'cooperatingiifulrum means on said latch and lever, and lock means on said latch and filler spouttolock' thesame to the" filler spout in the'close'd' position, common coil spring means between and for" holding. said closuredisc and said latch member in. theclosed" and locked position respectively, a portion. of said latch member protrudingv through the aperture in said, 1ever: member" but lying; substantially 2,aes,447

5 flush with the outer surface thereof and adapted when pressed inwardly from the outside to compress said common-spring means and to pivot on said lever to release said latch member from locking engagement with the filler spout.

7. A closure-cap device according to claim 6 in which said protruding portion of said latch member is outwardly dished and forms a locating seat for'one end of said common spring means.

8.. A closure-cap device according to claim 6 having stop members on said lever member to limit movement of said closure-disc under stress from said common coil spring means whenthe device is in the open position. 4

9. A closure cap device for a receptacle having an outer casing member, said casing member having an aperture and said receptacle having a filler spout member terminating adjacent said aperture but within said casing member, said device comprising a mounting secured to one of said members within said casing member, lever means pivotally mounted on said mounting for movement through said aperture, said lever means including a plate portion with an opening therethrough, said plate portion being positioned to fill said aperture and to be substantially flush with said casing when said plate portion is in the closed position, a closure disc resiliently supported by said lever means and being adapted to close the end of said filler spout when said plate portion is positioned in said aperture, a support carried by said lever means, a latch having an external portion resiliently disposed in said opening through said plat portion and being movably mounted on said support for movement with respect to said plate portion, a catch supported by one of said members, said latch having a portion thereon positioned to releasably engage said catch when said plate is in said aperture, said latch being responsive to pressure on said external portion to release said catch from said member.

FRANK WESTOOTT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 228,598 Buckley June 8, 1880 1,503,187 Fitchett July 29, 1924 2,113,484 Krauss Apr. 5, 1938 2,159,477 Friedman May 23, 1939 2,314,710 Keller Mar. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 437,532 Great Britain Oct. 31, 1935 479,147 Great Britain 1938 638,047 Germany Nov. 9, 1936 

